Push-pull door handle assembly



Jan. 2, 1968 w. A. HAYS, JR

PUSH-PULL DOOR HANDLE ASSEMBLY Filed June 24f 1965 INVENTOR n H y United States Patent 3,360,970 PUSH-PULL DOOR HANDLE ASSEMBLY William Allen Hays, Jr., 2980 E. Euclid, Apt. 7, Boulder, Colo. 80302 Filed June 24, 1965, Ser. No. 466,719 8 Claims. (Cl. 70-282) ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE A door handle assembly having handle plates which are disposed in aligned recesses on opposite sides of the door for slidable movement in the direction of opening of the door to effect release of the latch (by actuation of electromagnetic latch control means) and opening of the door in one continuous movement.

This invention relates generally to door latches; and more particularly relates to a novel and improved handle assembly characterized by having handle portions being adaptable to be disposed in flush relation on opposite sides of a closure, such as, a door, window and the like, and wherein the handles are further characterized by being slidable in the direction 0f opening to simultaneously release a latch member and open the closure in an eiiicient and reliable manner. l

It is an object of the present invention to provide a door handle assembly which eliminates the need for rotating or turning elements to control movement of the latch member, and instead will effect release of the latch by the simple expedient of a push or pull on the door handles in the direction of opening of the door.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved handle assembly being conformable for use in controlling locking and release of a closure portion, specifically swinging closures, `such as for instance, doors, gates, windows and the like; and further, wherein the handle assembly is of simplified construction, inexpensive to fabricate, and is comprised of a minimum number of parts which can be quickly installed in place.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide for a push-pull door handle assembly in which handle plates on opposite/sides of the door have common actuating means responsive to slidable movement of either of the handle plates to initiate release of a latching member; and moreover, wherein the handle plate assembly has incorporated therein electrical latching control means which is instantaneously responsive to movement of the handle portions to effect release of the latch for opening of the door.

It is a still further object of the present invention to make provision for a door handle assembly having a combination electromagnetic latch control means and a mauual locking device, the latter being further capable of operating the latch for mechanically releasing or latching the door from either side in the event of power failure.

It is an additional object of the present invention to make provision for an improved door handle assembly of the character described wherein the handle plates are relatively flat and :are disposed in aligned recesses on opposite sides of the door for slidable movement through the recesses in the direction of opening of the door to initiate release of the latch and opening of the door in one continuous movement.

The above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more readily appreciated and understood from a consideration of the following detailed description when taken together with the `accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a somewhat perspective view illustrating 3,360,970 Patented Jan. 2, 1968 the installation of a preferred form of handle assembly in a hinged door.

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view ofthe preferred form of handle assembly in the latching position.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional View taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2 with the assembly in latching position.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional View similar to FIGURE 3 with the assembly shown in the released position.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken about line 5-5 of FIGURE 2 showing the relative disposition between the handle plates when the assembly is in the latching position shown in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 5 and illustrating the relative disposition between the handle plates in urging the assembly to the released position of FIGURE 4.

Referring in detail to the drawings, there is shown by way of illustrative example in FIGURE 1 the installation of a preferred form of door handle assembly 1t) in a door member D mounted in hinged relation in a door frame F. As shown, the assembly 10 is located along the outer edge of the door opposite the hinged edge for releasable latching engagement with the Idoor frame. As will become apparent from the following description the assembly may be installed for different purposes; and therefore its use in association with a hinged door as illustrated is to be taken as being merely representative and not by way of limitation of the present invention.

In FIGURES 2 to 6, the preferred form of door handle assembly 10 is shown installed in a solid door D, and the assembly is broadly comprised of a latch mechanism 12 being dened by a latch member in the form of a slidable bolt 14 disposed in the door for sliding movement into and away from a latch-receiving recess 16 in the door frame. The bolt is normally urged to a latching position within the recess by means of return springs 17 positioned behind a solenoid 18; and in turn, the solenoid is energized in a manner to be described to overcome the bias of the spring and to cause withdrawal of the bolt away from its normal latching position. In order to control movement of the latch mechanism 12, and as an important feature of the present invention, push-pull door handle members 20 and 21 are disposed in recesses 22 and 23, respectively, on opposite sides of the door, and the door handles 20 and 21 preferably operate through a common activating member 24 to make or break an electrical circuit for the solenoid 18. For example, generally referring to FIGURES 5 and 6, by pressing door handle 20 inwardly through the recess 22 in the lopening direction of the door, the activating member is advanced to close the circuit leading to the solenoid to retract the bolt member 14 from the position shown in FIGURE 3 to that shown in FIGURE 4; thus, under one continuous movement of the door handle 20 the door is released from its latching position and opened away from the door frame. Similarly, by pulling or withdrawing the handle 21 located on the inside of the door outwardly through its recess 23 the door is released and opened under one continuous movement of the handle.

Considering in more detail the constuction and arrangement of the preferred form of assembly, the bolt 14 is provided with an elongated cylindrical shank or plunger element 30 disposed for sliding movement through a horizontally extending bore 31 which is formed in the door in aligned relation opposite to the recess 16 in the door frame. The outer end of the shank portion 30 includes an enlarged latching end portion 22 which is proportioned for close-fitting insertion within the recess 16, as shown in FIGURE 3, or it can be Withdrawn from the recess into an enlarged counter-bored portion 34 at` bore portions 31 and 34 to cushion movement of the latching end portion against the shoulder. An enlarged, coaxial recess 36 is formed t-o receive the solenoid 18, and the inner end of the shank passes through the solenoid with an enlarged end plate 38 lbeing positioned on the shank to support the return spring members 17 between the end plate and the end of the solenoid. In addition, a circular disc 40 of flexible material is positioned at the inner end of the recess to cushion movement of the end plate against the inner end .of the recess when the bolt is withdrawn rearwardly through the bore.

The electrical circuitry for the solenoid includes insulated lead wires 42 and 42a extending through the body of the door from a suitable current source. The lead wire 42 terminates in a contact 43 on bushing 44, the latter being inserted in a transverse bore 45 extending between the recessed portions 22 and 23; however, lead wire 42a is connected directly to the solenoid 18. Another lead wire 46 extends from a contact 47 on the bushing diametrically opposite the contact 43 to the solenoid 18 to complete the circuit.

In the preferred form it will be noted that the door handles 20 and 21 are interconnected by the common activating means 24 which takes the form of a cylindrical member composed of a dielectric or other suitable nonconductive material, except for an annular conducting core 48 located intermediately of the length of the cylindrical portion for the purpose of selectively closing the circuit to the solenoid. In turn, the door handle members 20 and 21 are each dened by a relatively flat, rectangular plate 50 having at its upper end a projection 52 which is curved outwardly and downwardly for a limited distance away from the plate. Each rectangular plate member 50 is dimensioned for close-tting insertion within a respective recess, and here it will be noted that the recesses are shallow but nevertheless of suicient depth to permit limited sliding movement of the door plate therein. Further, each recess portion has upper and lower stops defined -by ledges 54 and 55, respectively, to retain the door plates therein and to limit the movement of the plates from a position abutting the inner wall 56 of the recess to a position engaging the outer stops 54 and 55. Normal disposition of the door plate 20 within the recess and against the stops 54 and 55 is determined, as best seen from FIGURES and 6, by lmeans of upper and lower return springs 58 each projecting inwardly into a counter-bored portion 59 above and below the transverse bore 4S; but the plate 21 is normally biased inwardly against the inner wall 56 by return springs 60 inserted in relatively deep bores 61 above and below the main bore 45. In this relation, the contact core 4S is locate-d on the activating member 24 so as to be normally out of alignment with the contacts 43 and 47. When the outer door plate 20 is depressed against the bias of the return springs 58 and 60 inwardly through the recess the contact core 48 is advanced to a position in alignment with the contacts 43 and 47 to close the circuit to the solenoid and retract the bolt away from its latching position. Preferably the contact core 48 is of sufcient thickness and is so aligned as to make contact before the door plate 20 reachest the end of its travel so that continued pressure applied to the plate will cause the door to swing open. In a corresponding manner, the inner door plate 21 by grasping the upper grip portion 52 may be withdrawn outwardly through the recess to move the contact core 48 into alignment with the contacts 43 and 47 thereby establishing a closed circuit to the solenoid and releasing the latch for opening of the door.

A locking mechanism 70 is desirably incorporated as a unitary part of the door -handle assembly, and one form of lock mechanism may consist of a conventional lock with tumblers, not shown, on the shaft 72, projecting through openings in the door plates and through a transverse opening in the door adjacent to the main bore 45. A key slot 73 is provided for a key 74 on the outside of the door with a control button 75 at the opposite end of the shaft inside the door, and either the key or control button are rotatable to mechanically control movement of the bolt 14, independently of the solenoid circuit, between its latching and release positions. For this purpose, a cam lock 77 is positioned for rotation on the key shaft in a slot 78 beneath a downwardly facing groove 80 in the shank portion 14 of the bolt. The cam lock 77 upon rotation in a counter-clockwise Idirection will advance through the groove 80 and against the end surface 82 of the groove to withdraw the bolt away from latch receiving recess 16, against the urging of the return springs 17. Conversely, rotation of the cam lock 77 in the clockwise direction away from the -groove will permit the bolt to return to its normal latching position; thus it will be apparent that latching and release of the bolt can be controlled independently by means of a key in the key slot 74 or by the inner control button 75. To lock the door handle assembly, the cam lock is rotated by the key 74 or by the inner control button 75 to a vertical or upright position within the groove 80 to prevent retraction of the bolt through the bore when the solenoid is energized by one of the door handle plates. As a result the locking mechanism 70 can be utilized for locking purposes and for mechanically controlling latching and release of the door in the event of power failure, without interferring in any way with normal operation of the door handle assembly.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the door handle assembly may suitably be of unitary construction, for example, by packaging within a single housing containing the solenoid, latching and locking mechanisms for mounting in an open slot formed in the door. Once positioned in place, the lead wires may be run either through the door body and through a hinge portion, not shown, to a suitable source of current; or for solid doors, the lead wires may be passed through external grooves around the door edges to one of the hinge points for connection into a current source. Of course various other alternatives would suggest themselves, such as, where the installation is to be made in a door provided with its own source of current, such as, refrigerator or automotive door structures.

In use, the circuit leading to the solenoid is closed to release the bolt from its latching position either by pressing or pulling the outside 4or inside door plates, respectively, in the opening direction of the door to advance the contact core into alignment with the contacts. In pressing the door open from the outside again it is preferred that the circuit be established before the plate has been fully depressed so that the plate will not resist inward pressing movement, and once released from its latching position the door will freely move in the direction of pressing. In closing the door from the outside the operator will merely grasp the curved portion 52 of the plate to pull the door closed and into its normal latching position as illustrated in FIGURE 5. The reverse operation is followed in opening and closing of the door from the inside; or in other words, the door plate must be pulled to release the latchng mechanism and must be pressed inwardly to return the door to its closed position. In this relation, the latch mechanism may either be electically or mechanically responsive through suitable linkage to movement of the activating member 24. Of course the electrical system is of particular advantage in that it provides instantaneous response and close control `over movement of the bolt, and the locking mechanism is of course available t-o mechanically control latching and release should the electrical system fail.

It is therefore to be understood that various modifications and changes may be made in the preferred form of invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims and any reasonable equivalents thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A latch device for controlling latching and release of a door and the like in relation to a door frame, said latch device comprising a latch member disposed in the door including latch control means to control movement of the latch member between a latching and release position of the door with respect to the door frame, a pair of push-pull handle members disposed on opposite sides of the door including support means supporting each of said handle members for movement in the opening direction of the door, and said handle members having activating means projecting inwardly through a transverse slot for selective engagement with said latch control means, said latch control means being defined by a solenoid and a solenoid control circuit adapted t-o energize said solenoid for retraction of said latch member away from the latching position, said control circuit traversing the path of movement of said activating means for said handle members, said activating means being in the form of an electrically nonconductive element provided with an electrical contact portion thereon, the non-conductive portion being aligned normally to interrupt the circuit to said solenoid, and said activating means being movable in response to movement of one of said handle members in the opening `direction of the door to advance the contact portion into alignment with said solenoid control circuit for energizing said solenoid to advance said latch member away from the latching position.

2. A latch device according to claim 1 in which said handle members are further characterized by having a common activating member extending through a common slot in the door with the contact portion on said activating member being movable to selectively energize said solenoid in response to movement of one of said handle members in the opening direction of the door.

3. A latch device according to claim 1 further including a key lock mechanism projecting inwardly through a slot adjacent to the path of movement of said latch member, said key lock mechanism being movable to engage said latch member to hold said latch member in latching relation against movement away from the latch-receiving recess upon movement of said handle members in the opening direction of the door.

4. A latch device for controlling latching and release of a door and the like in relation to a door frame, said latch device comprising a latch member disposed in the door being normally disposed in latching relation within a latch-receiving recess in the door frame, said latch device further including latch control means being energized to control sliding movement of the latch member away from the latch-receiving recess, a pair of push-pull handle members disposed in aligned relation on opposite sides of the door including support means supporting each of said handle members for sliding movement in the opening direction ot the door, said handle members having an activating member therebetween projecting inwardly through a transverse slot for energizing said latch control means, and said activating member slidable in response to movement of one of said handle members in the opening direction of the door to cause movement of said latch member away from latching relation within the latchreceiving recess.

5. A latch device according to claim 4, wherein said push-pull handle members are each detined by a relatively flat rectangular plate including a projecting handle grip portion extending outwardly a limited distance from the plate.

6. In a door handle assembly for controlling latching and release of a door and the like in relation to a door frame wherein a latch is disposed in the door for lateral sliding movement into and away from a latch-receiving recess in the door frame with means normally biasing the latch member in the latched position Within the recess and with latch control means being selectively actuated to withdraw the latch member away from the recess for opening of the door, the combination comprising a pair of relatively flat, handle plate members disposed in spaced, parallel relation in aligned recesses on opposite sides of the door, each of said handle plate members including return spring elements supporting said plate members in predetermined relation within each of their respective recesses, said handle plate members being movable in a direction transverse to the plate of the door and having a common activating member extending between said handle plate members througha transverse bore communicating with the aligned recesses, said activating member being normally disposed in a position permitting said latching member to remain in the latched position with respect to the latch-receiving recess, and said activating member being further slidable in response to movement of one of the handle plate members in the opening direction of the door for actuating said latch control means to withdraw the latch member from the latching position within the latch-receiving recess.

7. A door handle assembly for controlling latching and release of a door and the like in relation to a door frame, said assembly comprising a solenoid-actuated latching member disposed in the door for sliding movement into and away from a latch receiving recess in the door frame, return spring means normally urging the latch member into the latched position within the latch-receiving recess and a solenoid control circuit to selectively energize the solenoid for withdrawal of the latch member from the latch-receiving recess, a. pair of flat, rectangular handle plates disposed in spaced parallel relation to one another in aligned recesses on opposite sides of the door, including spring means supporting each of said plate members in predetermined relation within a respective recess, said handle plates being movable in a direction transverse to the plane of the door and including a common activating member extending between the plates through a transverse bore communicating with the aligned recesses, said activating member being defined by a cylindrical element composed of electrically non-conductive material having a contact core of electrically conductive material positioned thereon, said activating member being movable in response to movement of one of said handle plates in the opening direction of the door to advance said contact core to a position closing the solenoid control circuit for energizing said solenoid to withdraw said latching member away from the recess.

8. A door handle assembly according to claim 7 further including a locking member extending transversely through the door in spaced parallel relation to said activating member, said locking member being rotatable from opposite sides of the door to mechanically actuate the latch member between the latching and release positions independently of said solenoid control circuit.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,635,028 7/1927 Burr et al. 70-280 2,784,993 3/ 1957 Collar 292 2,934,930 5/1960 Carvey 292-201 X 3,044,815 7/1962 Soss 292 3,069,193 12/ 1962 Kirk 292--144 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner. 

